Long Island Joint Custody

Navigating a Joint Custody negotiation with your soon to be ex-spouse can be an confusing and unpleasant process. A Long Island Divorce Lawyer or Long Island Family Lawyer will explain that this process requires infinite patience, and the assistance of competent counsel. As a parent, you should always be aware that the good health and well-being of your children (or child) should take center stage in the creation of a Joint Custody plan. You and your partner may have been able to hash out the details on your own, or you are in complete disagreement with each other. Either way, it is important to call a Long Island Joint Custody Lawyer for guidance.

You will learn when speaking with a Long Island Joint Custody Lawyer that the court will be focused on certain elements of your agreement. The Judge will be looking for a committed attitude on the part of the parents, in nurturing their children and putting them above the fray of divorce. Also be aware that any additional, later changes to your agreement must meet legal requirements that the changes are deemed appropriate in the current circumstance, and are essential to the parties and their ability to move forward in their lives. The expertise of a Long Island Family Lawyer will prove invaluable in helping you draft an agreement that will accomplish these goals.

There are some questions that each parent should ask themselves when preparing to negotiate a Joint Custody agreement:

• Am I committed to the happiness and well-being of my child irrespective of my differences with my spouse?
• Can we, as parents put our differences aside in order to properly co-parent?
• Is my spouse using the Joint Custody dispute as a way to hurt me?
• Is my spouse using this agreement only as a device to lessen or eliminate child support?

These questions are important as you move forward in your negotiations. There are considerations that need to be addressed and incorporated into you document as well. Which parent’s household will serve as the Primary Residence? What are the daily tasks and duties that each parent will be called upon to do? Are there any restrictions on traveling with the child? Who will have the child for Christmas, or their birthday? These considerations need to be defined as well as any restrictions on visitation or taking the child out of state, etc. A Long Island Joint Custody Lawyer will help you in defining these provisions and therefore protecting the health and safety of your children.

The Long Island Family Lawyers at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC have expertise in all areas of divorce, from Spousal Support to Visitation. We are available for advice in Father’s rights cases, and can support the family through the difficult process of filing a Guardianship case. When you call any of our offices from Manhattan to both Suffolk County and Nassau County, we will offer you a complimentary evaluation of your case. We look forward to hearing from you at 800.696.9529.